Vivian is 6 Months

I am truly sorry if I have turned into a disappointment on this blog :( Bear with me as I will still try to post here and there as I can. I know that everyone always says it, but where the heck has the time gone! I can't believe little Vivian is 6, almost 7 months old! She is growing like a weed! A few things to note about life around our house right now:
- Chris currently has the stomach flu and is sick in bed
- I have been sick a bagillion times this year, no joke! I don't know if pregnancy/childbirth just took it out of me or what, but if I am exposed to any tiny little germ I seem to catch it. Which really gets on my nerves because I'm usually never sick!
- Vivian just got over her second cold! She is a trooper. 2 weeks exactly and she fought it right off. (Maybe she is stealing all of my immunity :)
- The dogs are still here and kicking, although sometimes I want to kick them, ha :) It really is true though after you have a baby you really don't care about them any more, which is just sad...
- I am anxiously awaiting our Christmas cards to come so I can hopefully send them before Christmas!!! Please USPS bring me something good today!
- I have been trying to get Christmas shopping done, which is way harder then I thought it would be. Vivian is actually really good in stores, but I am lacking the motivation to go out myself and shop. I would much rather sit on the couch and watch Ellen :)
- Speaking of Ellen, I am addicted! She is having her 12 days of giveaways these past weeks, and man oh man do I wish I could win that stuff! I enter every day online :)
- Vivian still is not sleeping though the night. I kept making excuses the past 3 months about why I should wake up and let her nurse ( She has a cold, she's going through a growth spurt, she's getting teeth, blah blah blah), but I've finally ran out of excuses and so we are letting her cry it out this week. I am not a fan :(
- Vivian can almost crawl! She rocks back and forth on all fours and picks her hand up, but doesn't know where to put it at. Too Cute!
- I am thankful for my Bestie Melissa! Thanks to her I have been watching some great flicks lately! I certainly can't remember the last time I have been to the theatre. So after the baby is in bed we have been hitting up blockbuster! We watched Despicable Me last night and we all loved it! Nothing like a good flick.
- Vivian has starting eating 3 meals a day. I keep meaning to make her homemade baby food but haven't gotten around to it, so I keep buying Gerber. Any tips on that?
- We joined a small group at our church and we love it! I am so thankful for something during the week since we both work on Sundays.
- Speaking of Sundays, we might be making a few adjustments to our work schedules, so please pray for us that everything will work out. More on that later hopefully, if everything works out.
- We had a splendid Thanksgiving with both some Wardy's and Yoder's in house. It was a great time, and maybe sometime I'll post some pictures, but don't hold me too it.
- Vivian is the cutest, happiest, best, baby ever ( most of the time :) So here are some 6 month photos, which is why ya'll check this blog anyway, right?




* We had to start putting the sign behind Vivian because she grabs it now and wants to eat it :)

hello 5 months

I know I am a tad late on this post, but here it is anyway :) Vivian is 5 and a half months old. However, I did take these photos right at 5 months. She is growing so fast and changes a little bit every day!
Some of her latest accomplishments are:
-Rolling from front to back, and back to front
-Laughing hysterically at Daddy's funny faces
-Playing patty-cake
-Sleeping a little better through the night
-Eating some baby food
-Taking three naps a day
She also has two teeth in! She starting getting these at about 3.5 months, which I think was why she was sleeping so poorly through most of month 4. She is thankfully starting to adjust more to them now. She is a generally a really good, happy baby and we just love her to pieces. I am starting to wonder what I blogged about before I had a child :) It really is all about her now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. These 5 month photos were pretty funny! She kept trying to eat the leaves, it was cracking Chris and I up.


Oh, hello leaf.

I'm going to eat you now...

yummm...





Geesh Dad stop kissing me.

My first time climbing the tree.

Photo of the Day

A Day at the Park

A couple weeks ago Vivian had her first trip to the park! Okay, I'll admit it was more for her parents enjoyment, but I think she still had fun. We started out with a walk on one of the trails. That lasted about 14 minutes until we realized we need to invest in a jogging/outdoor stroller. Our poor little indoor stroller was not a fan of the gravel-ly trails. In the mean time Vivian fell asleep so we headed back to the main park.
Vivian and I on the walk

Vivian and Daddy on the walk

Vivian asleep after the walk

Vivian's first time on the swings

Again with Dad, isn't this precious? I think so.

And last but not least what is a trip to the park without some sliding goodness? All in all it was a very successful first trip to the park and I'm sure we will be back probably a million times in the future.

3 and 4 months

I've started taking Vivian's photo every month on the same day with a poster listing her newest accomplishments. Unfortunately, I missed months 1 and 2, but thats okay. Here are months 3 and 4 :) I can't get enough of this little girlie!

3 MONTHS



4 MONTHS

A new kind of normal

Thank goodness that things are finally starting to get back to somewhat normal around our house. Well, it's definitely a new kind of normal that's for sure, but nevertheless, normal. Thankfully, I started to feel better last week. Apparently after the pregnancy I developed a stomach ulcer that was causing all of the nausea. After we figured out what the problem was it has greatly improved! And just in the nick of time. I have to go back to work this coming weekend, so I am so grateful to be feeling better for at least 2 weeks before I have to go back. Viv is doing wonderful. She still eats about 6-7 times a day, and usually only once during the night. It is obviously a huge adjustment to have a baby, and I have to say I love our "new normal".

Last weekend we had Vivian's baptism and it was just the sweetest thing ever. During the service she looked right up at the pastor and was so alert, like she knew exactly what he was saying. And what a good reminder for all of us that baptism is a sign of God's unfailing love for us, and that it opens the door to new life in Jesus Christ. The service really opened my eyes to the huge responsibility that Chris and I have to train Vivian up in the ways of Christ. After church we really had quite the celebration with both of our families. We had a delicious meal of roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, slaw, green bean casserole (my favorite!), and cake and icecream! My mom was a huge help with making the food and cake! We really had a great weekend with the fam. They adore Viv and it is so sweet to see that she will be so loved and supported by so many people. Here are a few pics from the weekend.

My sweet babe and I

A family pic

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!" 2 Cor 5:17

The 4th

Oh the 4th of July, my favorite holiday! I know this post is a couple days late, but I just wanted to travel down memory lane to three years ago. If you don't know, the 4th has always been my absolute favorite holiday! Chris also knew this and chose to propose on this day three years ago. Along with the help of our friends Jake and Christy, he planned out a whole day/picnic/proposal. He also invited them along so we would have pictures, which was awesome! The entire thing was planned out very well because he actually made me think that I was coordinating a picnic with Christy at the Palisades Park, when he was actually master-minding the entire thing. Very, very clever. I had no idea and was completely shocked. I love the photos we have because they were right when it happened and they bring back such sweet memories.
Then of course there is the video, which completely cracks me up. "Ah, now we have to have kids, Ahh" Enjoy!

Summer Sickness

Oh my word I am obviously long, LONG, overdue for a blog post. Unfortunately this mama has been out of commission for the past couple of weeks. Around the beginning of June I starting having some symptoms of what I thought was Mastitis with some nausea and vomiting. I know, gross! I went to the Dr and got started on some antibiotics which I thought should clear everything up. Wrong :( The antibiotics did nothing but make my stomach even more upset. Too make a long story short, I have re-visited the dr a couple more times and tried another antibiotic but nothing is helping. The mastitis is not as bad as it was, but I am still constantly nauseated. And no, I'm not pregnant again haha. This is actually much worse then any pregnancy nausea I ever had.

So I return to the Dr yet again tomorrow and we will discuss more tests to try and figure out what is wrong with my stomach! This is definitely the most frustrating thing I have ever gone through. I finally feel healed up from delivery and just want to enjoy the rest of my maternity leave. However, I have zero energy and feel like a limp noodle. So please keep me in your prayers that the Dr can figure out what is wrong with me so I can start feeling better again!!! I've said it before and I will say it again, thank goodness for Chris. Poor guy has been working full time and then had to come home to a sick wifey. He has been helping to keep the house in order, holding my hair when I puke, and being an excellent dad :)

On to a happy note, baby Vivian is doing amazing! She is just the cutest, best, baby ever :) She is growing like crazy, a little over 10 pounds, and 24 inches long! She has started smiling up at us and just makes the cutest little expressions. She has been doing pretty well with sleeping at night. A couple times last week she slept from about 11 pm to 4 am or 5 am. So those 5 hour streches were nice! She naps throughout the day and is generally really happy. Here are some pics I snapped about a week ago.

Vivian Iris Ward

Vivian’s Birth Story
It all started at 10 pm Monday May 17th. I was nine days overdue, but still feeling pretty good. We had an appointment the previous Friday and I wasn’t dilated at all. Since I was past due the Dr. wanted us to have a non stress test and ultrasound, which were both fine. I worked the weekend which was hard and ended up staying for eight hour shifts both days because I was so tired. That Sunday after work I was starting to feel anxious because I knew I had an appointment coming up on Tuesday and I did not want to talk about induction, which I was afraid was coming.

On Monday my friend Melissa came over and we went for yet another 2-mile walk. I had some Braxton hicks contractions throughout the day, but nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, in one last ditch effort to induce labor myself I scheduled an acupuncture treatment with my chiropractor for Monday afternoon at 2:30 pm. Chris and I had been trying everything else to try and naturally induce labor, but with no luck. So I went to my appointment with feelings that it probably wouldn’t work, but hoping that it would. After the appointment I came home and hung out with Chris. Thankfully it was his night off and we were just going to take it easy. Chris was cleaning the house and I swear I didn’t even have to nest because he was doing it for me. He was cleaning the bathrooms and tidying everything up. I told him I would vacuum and dust the living room. I remember wanting to do more but after vacuuming I was exhausted. It was all I could do to finish a couple chores before I laid down on the couch. A few hours later we cooked supper and I remember standing by the stove not feeling the best.

I was having some more Braxton hicks contractions that were hurting a little bit but I didn’t want to get excited so I just sat on the exercise ball after supper. Finally about 9:30 I wanted to go to bed, so we headed upstairs. At 10 pm I started having contractions that were uncomfortable. I still did not want to get excited because we learned that adrenaline could slow your labor down. So I told Chris what was happening but we just continued to hang out in the bedroom. Then I started having to pee about every 5 minutes. That was our first clue that this was real labor. Chris started timing my contractions and they were consistently four minutes apart and lasting about thirty seconds long. I paced in the hallway and packed my last minute toiletries. I really needed Chris to be next to me right from the start. Every time I would have a contraction I would holler for him to come so I could lean on him. I was still able to rest and laugh between contractions.

Around 1 pm we decided to go for a walk outside. It was kind of chilly but the cool air felt good. We were laughing because we thought we probably looked ridiculous to anyone walking. We were walking so slowly and then we would stop and I would have to lean on Chris during contractions. They were about 3 minutes apart at this time.

At 2:30 pm I decided to get into the bathtub. We talked about going to the hospital but I still didn’t want to go. I stayed in the bath for about an hour and the contractions were getting stronger. We called the hospital after I got out and they asked how far apart the contractions were, we said 3 minutes. Then they said to eat and take a bath. We told them we already had, so they said to come on in. I still really did not feel like going, so we tried to take another walk. It had really cooled off outside at this point and we only made it a block and a half before going back home. I told Chris we should probably go soon. He loaded up the car and I drank some Gatorade and ate toast. Contractions were two minutes apart and one minute long. Chris rubbed my back during them and I was still working through them okay.

After I finished my snack we left for the hospital at about 4 pm. We got there at 4:30 and the ride was terrible. I was so uncomfortable sitting down in the car. Our nurse said she wondered if we were going to show up ☺ She checked us in and hooked me up to the monitor. Baby’s heart rate was great and I was definitely contracting. She checked me and I was 5 cm. I said, “So do I get to stay?” haha. We gave her our birth plan and she was on board. Chris was still helping me through every contraction. I was most comfortable sitting on the birth ball leaning either on Chris or the bed. Our nurse called Dr. Fox to tell him I was there and I wouldn’t be coming to my appointment that Tuesday morning!

At about 6:30 Tuesday morning Dr. Fox checked in on us and told us he would be back at 7:30 after a meeting. He gave the nurses the okay to do intermittent monitoring so I could move around the room. They hooked me up to the monitor every 30 minutes, and everything was always fine with the baby. Dr. came back around 8 am and checked me, I was 8 cm and 100 percent effaced. He said to just keep doing what we were doing. I really had to focus during contractions at this point because they were intense.

Around 9 I wanted to get in the bathtub to help with the back pain I was having. Our nurse told me to be careful because many times the bath can make you relax so much that you progress really quickly and want to push, and she didn’t want me to have the baby in the bathtub. I told her I would be careful. I was only in the bath for about 10 minutes before I started having pressure and decided I needed to get out. Chris chugged an energy drink and helped me back to bed.

The nurse checked me and I was fully dilated except for a tiny lip of cervix. I was having the urge to push but because of that lip they told me to wait which was extremely hard. Dr. Fox came back and we decided it would be best to break my bag of water. After my water broke the urge to push became even stronger. After about 2 hours of pushing Vivian Iris was born naturally at seven pounds nine ounces. They immediately put her up on my chest, and I looked down and saw the sweetest baby ever. Labor was definitely the hardest most intense thing I have ever done, but also the most rewarding. It sounds cheesy but Chris and I are so in love that it is hard to put it into words. Here are some photos of little Vivie.